Gospel Music’s Next Superstar Zacardi Cortez Is Inviting His Fans To Help Pick His Next Radio Single

His spine-tingling vocal gymnastics on songs such as James Fortune & FIYA’s #1 smash “I Believe” and his current Top 5 duet with John P. Kee on “One More Time” have made Zacardi Cortez the talk of the music industry and now he wants his fans to talk back to him. “I want everybody who ever liked anything I’ve done to help me pick my next radio single,” the 25-year-old Houston-based singer says.

“I’m so proud of my new CD. It’s got a little bit of everything on it. I’ve got some quartet, some hymns, some praise and worship and I’ve even got some stuff with a little R&B groove. So, I need the help of the gospel music community to help me pick the song that will bless the most people and touch their hearts.”

The 13-track CD has a ton of musical treats. Lalah Hathaway duets with Cortez on the smooth anthem “Every Promise” and Fred Hammond brings horn-driven funk to “Praise You.” James Fortune opens the soul-stirring ballad, “God Held Me Together.” The silky soul of “Alright” features Isaac Carree on a track that fits neatly between tracks by R. Kelly and Trey Songz. Cortez shares the lilting ballad “For Me” with Kierra Sheard and shows off his quartet growl with the Williams Singers on “He Brought Me.” The legendary John P. Kee, stops in on the current Top 10 smash, “One More Time.”

In spite of the awe-inspiring duets, the set is equally impressive for Cortez’ nuanced solo performances. He brings a little Isley Brothers vibe to the R&B-styled groove “Living For You” and demonstrates sophistication and class on the tune, “It Was Love.” It’s just Cortez and a cheerleading organist on the riveting “Hymn Medley” that shows him riffing like a Pentecostal storefront preacher. On the up-tempo “Come Bless The Lord” and “Mighty God” Cortez proves that he can even lead praise and worship tunes. The iTunes deluxe edition of the CD features a digital booklet and two additional songs, “All That I Need” and “The Blood.”